Feed-mill.



' Patented Aug. 14, I900. A. T. FOSTER.

FEED MILL. (Application filed. May 18, 1900.)

2 Sheets-Sheet (No Model.)

\ INVENTOR ATTORNEY No. 655,969. Patented Aug. l4, I900.

.A. T. FOSTER.

FEED MILL.

(Application filed. May 18, 1900.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

AARON T, FOSTER, OF CHILLICOTHE, OHIO.

FEED-MILL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 655,969, dated August 14, 1900.

Application filed May 18, 1900.

To all whmn it may concern.-

Be it known that I, AARON;T. FOSTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ohillicothe, in the county of Ross and Stateof Ohio, have invented a certain new and'useful Improvement in Feed-Mills, of which the follow-, ing is a specification; g

My invention relatesto the improvement of feed-mills, and has particular relation to that class of feed-mills in which ears of corn are crushed or broken preparatory to grinding.

The objects of my invention are to provide a mill of this class with a superior construction of corn breaking or crushing mechanism, to so construct the same as to effectively break the ears or partial ears of corn into desirable sections or sizes, to accomplish this object without the employment of excessive power, to construct said breaking and crushing mechanism in a simple and reliable manner,'an'd to produce other improvements which will be more clearly pointed out hereinafter. These objects I accomplish in the manner illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a view in elevation of my im proved feed-mill, showing for the sake of clearness in illustration a portion of the outer side thereof broken away. Fig. 2 is a transverse section on line 00 x of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail view in perspective of the grinding and crushing mechanism shown detached, and Fig. 4 is a detail view in perspective of one of the teeth of the rotary breaking-section.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

1 represents the main cylindrical casing of myimproved mill, with thelowerend of which is connected a ring extension 2, having a flaring skirt termination 3, this skirt termination being provided with a flanged base, from which extends downwardly the supporting-legs 4. Rising from opposite sides of the upper portion of the casing 1 are inwardly-extending arms 5, which support centrally a bearing ring or sleeve 6, upon which is mounted a bearing-shoulder 7 r of a vertical operatingshaft 8. This shat-t8 is provided in its upper end portion with rigid outwardly-extending arms 9, with which are adapted to be suitably connected an operating-lever. (Not herein shown.) Extending loosely through the shaft ing mechanism. forming apart of my present invention.) In

same with the casing of the mill. arms 11 hasformed therewith on its under side and projecting laterally beyond one side Serial No. 17,094. N0 model- 8 is the usual central adjusting-rod 10, which is ordinarily employed for regulating a grind- (Not herein shown and not producing my improved crushing or breaking construction 1 construct the same in upper and lower sections 11 and 12.

The upper and stationary section 11 has radiating from its central portion horizontal arms 11 which at jtheirrouter ends are provided with end recesses or bifurcations 11 to admit of the passage therethrough of bolts 13, uniting the Each of the thereof successively arranged downwardlyextending tooth or blade bars 1 1, the outwardly-projecting and substantially-vertical edge portions of which are beveled to form projecting blades or teeth 14. Each of the downwardly-extending blade-bars let has formed therewith and extending at an angle therefrom a bar 1 1*. These bars 14 extend from the blade-bars horizontally a short distance, curving in the arcs of circles, these curves being continued by the inclined portions 1 1 of said bars, which rise to meet wvhat I will term the rear edge or side of the next succeeding arm 11*, with which said bars 14 are integrally formed. vious that in this arrangement of the parallel bars 14 and 14 said bars gradually decrease It is obin length from the outer to the inner one and i that the portions 14. form a grating on an in clined plane which leads downward to the shorter horizontal portions 14:". This frame construction of the section 11 is continued between the arms 11 thereby forming a stationary frame which is included within a circular outline. The section 11 has its central portion loosely mounted on a shaft 8 within the casing 1, and beneath this section 11* and also centrally mounted upon said shaft is the breaking or crushing section 12, the latter also consisting of the desired number of radially-arranged arms 15, which radiate from a central hub 15 thereof. Each of the arms 15 of the section 12 has projecting upward therefrom at intervals teeth 15*, the latter having their corresponding sides, as shown more clearly in Fig. 4 of the drawings, formed with central longitudinal and comparatively- ICO sharp breaking edges 16, a similar although smaller breaking edge or cutting projection being formed on each side of each of the edges 16 and being indicated at 16. This construction of the triple breaking edge of the edges of the teeth 15 corresponds with the construction of the outwardly-projeeting tooth portions 14 of the bars l-t. As indicated in the drawings, the teeth 15 of the arms 15 project between the bars 14 14 of the section 11, said teeth 15 being of such height as to pass beneath the bars 11. As indicated by the key 17 within the hub 15 in Fig. 3 of the drawings, the hub of the section 12 is adapted to be keyed onto the shaft 8, admitting of its being rotated with said shaft. Within the lower or skirt portion 3 of the mill may be contained a desirable construction of grinding mechanism. It is also obvious that a suitable form of flaring hopper maybe made to rise from the upper side of the casing 1, the same being shown herein only in dotted lines at 18 for the sake of clearness in illustration.

In practice the corn to be broken or crushed is fed through the hopper into the casing 1 and onto the upper crushing-section 11, the cars rolling down the inclined bar portions let? to positions adjacent to the tooth projections 1*. In this position the ears are out by the triple-edged projecting teeth 15 of the lower crushing-section 12 and carried against the correspondiugly-formed breaking edges of the rigid teeth 14:, resulting in a breaking or cutting of the cars into nu merous comparatively-small pieces orfragments,this en tting or breaking action being insured by the moving teeth 15 passing between the stationary teeth 14 and further insured by the cutting or breaking action of the triple edges of said teeth. The fragments or particles to which corn-ears are thus reduced drop downward between the bars l-t" 14 onto a suitable grinding mechanism which, as hereinbefore mentioned, may be contained within the skirt 2 of the casing. It is obvious, however, that the crushed corn may drop to the ground or into any suitable receptacle arranged beneath the mill in case no grinding mechanism is employed.

Owing to the radial arrangement of the rows of crushing-teeth employed herein it is obvious that the ears of corn which follow the inclined portions 14 of the bars onto the horizontal portions 14" thereof will be successivcly acted upon by the breaking or cutting edges of the teeth, the inner teeth first coming into contact therewith, thus obviating the necessity of employing a high degree of power for operating the crushing mechanism.

From the construction which I have shown and described it will be seen that comparatively few parts are employed in my improved mill for the purposes set forth and that the same are so constructed and arranged as to insure a positive action and admit of said parts being produced and assembled at a com paratively-low cost of manufacture.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a feed-mill, the combination with a casing, a vertical shaft journaled therein, a fixed breaking or crushing section loose on said shaft, said section having radially-arranged arms 11 and between said arms curved bars which incline from one arm and terminate in tooth-bars 14 which rise to meet the next succeeding arm 11, of a breaking-section 12 having its central portion keyed on said shaft and having radially-arranged arms provided with upwardly projecting teeth adapted to move between the bars of said section 11, substantially as specified.

2. In a feed-mill, the combination with a casing, a vertical shaft 8 journaled therein and a breaking-section 11 loosely mounted on said shaft and fixed in said casing, said breakv ing-section consisting of radially-arranged arms united by parallel bars which incline from one of said arms to the base portions of upwardly-extending terminations 11L thereof, the latter rising to meet the next succeeding arm of said section and having tooth-like edges 14, of a breaking-section 12 keyed on said shaft below said section 11 and having radially-arranged arms provided with upwardlyprojecting teeth which extend between the bars of the section 11, said teeth being provided on one side with cutting edges, substantially as specified.

AARON T. FOSTER.

In presence of- P. S. KARSHNER, A. L. PHELPS. 

